During a highly stressful and busy time, morale can decline. Encouraging employees
to take a mental health day can help. Knowing their manager supports it might alleviate their apprehension over asking for time off and any fear they have about not being
perceived as a team player.

Consider a small token of appreciation for their efforts—perhaps a gift card to
their favorite coffee shop or restaurant—or buy the team lunch.

Don’t just promote work/life balance, live
it. We shut down early before holidays
and have “unplugged” initiatives com-panywide. Each office has a designated
“mindfulness space,” which often features a small water element, low lighting,
cozy furniture and, most importantly, a
technology-free spot to be by yourself.

We encourage active participation in
mindfulness-related activities as well as
provide company-paid subscriptions to
mindfulness apps. Some locations offer
yoga, guided meditation and mindfulness
exercises such as Action for Happiness.

That said, we are also very clear with
prospective hires about the demands of our
work. My organization has 510 employees and is still in the startup phase. Being
transparent about the amount of energy
that will be required is key so that people
can decide for themselves if they’re all in.

Preventing burnout is a responsibility to be shared by employees and company leaders. Both need to commit for it
to work.

HR needs to ensure that performance goals are communicated clearly to employees at the beginning of the year and reworked at appropriate intervals to meet
business requirements. They must also help maintain optimum staffing. Fair
distribution of job responsibilities will prevent employee burnout and improve
retention.